The document evaluates the website of the Council of Exceptional Children (CEC) based on various criteria such as content, layout, spelling/grammar, load time, and navigation. Overall, the evaluator found the content and layout of the site to be well-done, though some minor issues were noted with a broken link and slow load times. Conducting thorough website evaluations is important for technology coordinators to ensure educators and students are using appropriate online resources.

1. Blair Thallmayer
MCOM536
Week #3
Topic 4: Web Page Evaluation
Since my experience in PDS and student teaching involved special education and
inclusionary classrooms I found it pertinent to evaluate the website of the Council of
Exceptional Children (CEC). The site, which can be found at http://cec.sped.edu, is not
entirely perfect but it definitely accomplishes what it sets out to. My standards when
evaluating a web site begin with its content. After all, I need to know exactly what the
web site is dealing with, what type of information it hosts, and how that information is
delivered to Internet users.
The content here was perfect, as there were no instances during which I did not
know or understand what I was looking at. The links were descriptive, or titled in ways
to avoid confusion, like ‘About,’ ‘Membership,’ ‘News and Issues,’ and ‘Policy and
Advocacy.’ Every time I thought of something pertaining to special education or the
CEC, a link or description was quickly found. Additionally, the featured links offer a
paragraph summarizing its specific contents. The contents were extremely accurate and
gave the impression of being well-researched, as well.
Another top point of the site is its layout, which is not overwhelming at all, but
packs plenty of punch in the space it occupies. The combination of gray space in this
case, graphics, appropriate font size, and different color coding for separate sections of
the CEC make viewing this site a very pleasant experience aesthetically. For instance,
the main links at the top are maroon, bordered with white, to stand out; below that, to the
left, the CEC Communities section, and the Teaching and Learning section, each of
which house their own links, are separated by different color schemes, to show viewers
they are, in fact, different. The graphics also tell a consistent story on each page, without
being overdramatic or hogging up too much space.
The layout does have somewhat of a flaw, if you can call it that, in that the links
at the top of the site seem to have been updated without full correction. What I am
referring to is the use of rollover links, links that when the cursor hovers over, will
change to another graphic or another word. The ‘Publications’ link is still a rollover link

2. while the others have been changed to stay still. Unfortunately, when you roll over this
link, it changes to ‘Professional Development’ which is the link directly to its left. This
is not a huge deal, but a website such as this should be flawless in layout and design. As
simple as something like this is to fix, it still has not been fixed, which is problematic.
Other than the error with the link, however, the spelling, grammar and
punctuation are top notch. Even if errors do exist that escaped my probing eyes, they
were not so blatantly obvious to cause a reader to stop and question its credibility. Still,
on a site whose job is to assist exceptional children, all spelling and grammar should be
perfect. As far as this observer can tell, it reaches that goal.
The only real issue with the site is its load time. My Internet is not the fastest in
the galaxy, but it is still a cable modem, and each link took approximately 6-12 seconds
to load. On my same computer, similar websites take 1-4 seconds to load, meaning that
something with regards to the compression, graphics, or contents of the website is
slowing everything down. Since the graphics are not tantamount to the understanding of
this site’s contents, they could probably compress them a bit more and develop faster
loading times. Despite this, the navigation system is tremendous, as the color coding
always lets you know where you are on the site, as well as where certain desired sections
can be found.
Lastly, the copyright and contact information is appropriately placed at the bottom
of the site, separate from all other text, to avoid cluttering. The copyright also lists its
compliance with the W3C-AAA standards, and the contact information includes a phone
number, e-mail address, and physical address. Overall, the site would earn a 29/32 based
on my rubric, only losing points due to the link flaw in the layout and the load time
issues. The layout flaw is a very simple fix and one that the web designer likely
overlooked in haste, but the load time definitely needs to be taken into account to make
visiting the site a more enjoyable and less frustrating experience.

3. Web Site Design : Web Page Evaluation
Teacher Name: Miss Blair Thallmayer
Student Name: ________________________________________
CATEGORY 4 3 2 1
Content The site has a well- The site has a The purpose and The site lacks a
stated clear clearly stated theme of the site is purpose and
purpose and theme purpose and somewhat muddy theme.
that is carried out theme, but may or vague.
throughout the site. have one or two
elements that do
not seem to be
related to it.
Layout The Web site has The Web pages The Web pages The Web pages
an exceptionally have an attractive have a usable are cluttered
attractive and and usable layout. layout, but may looking or
usable layout. It is It is easy to locate appear busy or confusing. It is
easy to locate all all important boring. It is easy to often difficult to
important elements. locate most of the locate important
elements. White important elements.
space, graphic elements.
elements and/or
alignment are used
effectively to
organize material.
Spelling and There are no errors There are 1-3 There are 4-5 There are more
Grammar in spelling, errors in spelling, errors in spelling, than 5 errors in
punctuation or punctuation or punctuation or spelling,
grammar in the grammar in the grammar in the punctuation or
final draft of the final draft of the final draft of the grammar in the
Web site. Web site. Web site. final draft of the
Web site.
Load Time The pages typically All pages typicially One Web page Web pages
load very quickly load reasonably typically takes typically take a
(10 seconds or quickly (10-15 more than 15 more than 15
less) on a 54k seconds) on a 54k seconds to load, seconds to
modem due to modem due to but the others load download due to
small graphics, small graphics, quickly. large graphics,
good compression good compression animations,
of sounds and of sounds and sounds, etc.
graphics, and graphics, and
appropriate division appropriate division
of content. of content.
Navigation Links for navigation Links for navigation Links for navigation Some links do not
are clearly labeled, are clearly labeled, take the reader take the reader to
consistently allow the reader to where s/he expects the sites described.
placed, allow the easily move from a to go, but some A user typically
reader to easily page to related needed links seem feels lost.
move from a page pages (forward and to be missing. A

4. to related pages back), and internal user sometimes
(forward and back), links take the gets lost.
and take the reader reader where s/he
where s/he expects expects to go. A
to go. A user does user rarely
not become lost. becomes lost.
Copyright Fair use guidelines Fair use guidelines Fair use guidelines Borrowed materials
are followed with are followed with are followed with are not properly
clear, easy-to- clear, easy-to- clear, easy-to- documented OR
locate and locate and locate and material was
accurate citations accurate citations accurate citations borrowed without
for all borrowed for almost all for most borrowed permission from a
material. No borrowed material. material. No site that requires
material is included No material is material is included permission
from Web sites that included from Web from Web sites that
state that sites that state that state that
permission is permission is permission is
required unless required unless required unless
permission has permission has permission has
been obtained. been obtained. been obtained.
Graphics Graphics are Graphics are Graphics are Graphics seem
related to the related to the related to the randomly chosen,
theme/purpose of theme/purpose of theme/purpose of are of low quality,
the site, are the site, are of the site, and are of OR distract the
thoughtfully good quality and good quality. reader.
cropped, are of enhance reader
high quality and interest or
enhance reader understanding.
interest or
understanding.
Content Accuracy All information Almost all the Almost all of the There are several
provided by the information information inaccuracies in the
student on the Web provided by the provided by the content provided
site is accurate and student on the Web student on the Web by the students OR
all the site is accurate and site is accurate and many of the
requirements of the all requirements of almost all of the requirements were
assignment have the assignment requirements have not met.
been met. have been met. been met.

5. Summary
1. Standard/Outcome: I.B
2. Demonstrate Mastery: (1) Researching and evaluating existing and emerging
technologies. (2) Use of learner developmental levels as related to technology
resources. (3) Access and use information sharing.
3. Artifact Benefit: As the technology person for a school/district being aware of the
existing and emerging technologies is part of the role. To do that, technology
coordinators, in collaboration with administrative and technology staff, must explore
emerging technologies and find the appropriate place for these new modern
technologies within education.
Reflection
In MCOM 536, Internet for educators we developed web evaluations. Since
my experience in PDS and student teaching involved special education and
inclusionary classrooms I found it pertinent to evaluate the website of the Council of
Exceptional Children (CEC). The site, which can be found at http://cec.sped.edu, is
not entirely perfect but it definitely accomplishes what it sets out to. My standards
when evaluating a web site begin with its content. After all, I need to know exactly
what the web site is dealing with, what type of information it hosts, and how that
information is delivered to Internet users.
Being able to evaluation a website is important information for the technology
coordinator. Educators using the internet and web as resources for learning activities
need to be aware of the audience and objective of the website. Making sure that it is
an appropriate site for students will benefit everyone in the long run.
Every web page must be evaluated based on a variety of criteria. The task was
to become acquainted with various evaluation processes, and apply those valuation
techniques to your own evaluations of web pages. Viewing web pages on a daily basis
was standard routine for me. I understood that there or must have been a set of
guidelines that web designers have to follow in order to create an appropriate and
creativity web site. However, I was never really sure of the variety of criteria until
this project. Now that I can identify the various evaluation processes, I can apply
those techniques to evaluating web pages. This will also benefit myself when creating
web pages, as well as appropriate viewing websites for my future students.